Boxing
 

You guys like Boxing? Mickey Ward was pure power at around 145 pounds...His style was easy to diagnose, hard to stop... He'd use head shot to get an opponent to bring his hands up. then use a devastating body shot that dropped many. Many of his fights a skilled boxer would outpoint him in the early rounds...And he did lose some. But hey, he never failed to put on one hell of a show. Here's a highlights video...loved it when they used Toni Basil's only #1 hit as background music...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_4ljK8JxsU

then use a devastating body shot I had to slow the frames down - he's fast LOL but I think many of those were kidney shots that dropped the other guy. Hard to place but VERY effective.

Here is what I know about boxing: Don't pick a fight with a trained boxer.

Very Impressive..... and btw Sups, don't pick a fight with a trained (insert discipline of choice here) :)

I used to live in Lowell MA which is where Mickey grow up and still runs his gym, he was a common sight around town and and at the annual Lowell Golden Gloves events which my wife and I always attended. Neat guy.

As some of you may know, Micky was the subject of the movie The Fighter which was also filmed in Lowell. The final scene in the movie shows the outside of Ray Robinson cafe, a saturday morning tradition for the ~6 years I lived there.

Boxing just needs to go away. With what we now understand regarding concussions and head injury, there is no excuse to allow it to continue. It provides the illusion of promise to too many desperate kids. And it fails to deliver for most, while often ruining the lives of those who "succeeded".

Harsh words, I know. And guess what - I grew up boxing. Fought Golden Gloves until it became obvious I was just a punching bag for the more talented kids. I was "lucky" - it became obvious I had no future about the time I entered high school. Granted, there are those among you on this forum who would argue whether any lasting damage was done, but I like to thing there... wasn't much.

And Supe is right - never take on a trained fighter. I'm by no means bragging, but the very, very few times in my "adult" life I have had to call upon those skills - even with my very limited (and admittedly now quite rusty) "skills", the other guy still doesn't know what happened. It's a skill set that must be trained and developed. None of us are born with it. Thank God...

I spent about fifteen years in boxing and kick boxing clubs. I was never any good. I used to fake knock downs to avoid getting hurt. But excellent life skills. It means I don't have to bow down/concede to anyone. I'm a private school boy but can be extremely foul mouthed when something doesn't suit me, and if the other person gets a bit physical usually I absolutely deal to them. It's quite good fun really. I've had about 75 street fights since I left school - just another odd hobby I guess that I don't take too seriously.

I was just watching "The Harder They Fall" a great movie with Bogart, Rod Steiger and a bunch of Hollywood character actors including boxers Jersey Joe Walcott and Max Baer (Jethro Bodiens Dad).

Great movie showing the ugly underbelly of Pro boxing. The acting, cinematography and storyline are perfect. Check it out if you have a chance.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049291/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2

My brother in law won his weight class in Texas in GG boxing. I saw him in a bar one time before I met him. He is maybe 5'7" 150 pounds. This big guy 8 or 10 inches taller and at least 100 pounds more, knocked the little guys cowboy hat off 3 times. He'd pick it up, say something and walk away. Fourth time, going up the stairs in front of the DJ booth, he bent down like he was picking up his hat. Instead he launches a right hand into that big guy's chin, lifted him off the ground, like in a Popeye cartoon, really looked like the big guy was dead


This little blonde runs up on one punch man, curses at him quite eloquently and drags his ass out of there, happened about 20 feet from me. I married that little blonde about a year later. Guy was not dead, smelling salts brought him around, but he was out cold. It was amazing how quick he was, accurate. He would always try and talk them out of it, they push him and push him and BANG, on the chin, angle of the jaw lights out and we needed to find a new bar. Pretty incredible to see, a not very big guy turning some stout looking dude into a rag doll

I still remember an 8th grade football game (I always watched from the bench fwiw ;)).... opposing lineman wanted to fight and took his helmet off....

A black friend mebbe 150 lbs, GG boxer..... bip, bip, bip, bip... while leaving his helmet on.... over before it started. The other guy should have learned two valuable lessons that day....
1) leave yer helmet on, and...

2) Don't mess with James White :D

Fair point but there are so many reasons why I disagree, respectfully.

My farther boxed at West Point and I went with him to various gyms and learned how to box at a young age...up through my post sophomore summer in HS. We moved to South Carolina and the vibe was very different from the gyms in Oxnard and Camarillo. Not in a good way.

Because I was tall and large for my age, I never competed in a GG match...I would have been fighting much more mature men. I would have been the human tom-tom.

So, I always sparred with headgear and softer gloves.

I can tell you, as you no doubt know from the rest of your post, Jeff, that there are just a handful of mistakes people make in a fight they simply have not been taught how to avoid.

My son still competes in Ju Jitsu and it is fascinating to watch. On the ground, I am a a complete morsel.

Pros would be wise to just stay the hell away from Don King...

He's still alive?

Boxing to me was a boring as bowling. But I have to agree that one punch directly off your chest (as opposed to a roundhouse hook) will most likely end the trouble. Works for me.

Yep..he's still alive. But you're right...thanks to father time, no longer promoting.

Boring? Did you watch the video? Oh well, to each his own. To me, F-1 is boring...

Boxer Zab Judah, who won over Ward on points. being interviewed said something to the effect that Ward was a tougher fight for him than Mayweather...in between rounds, he asked his corner to stop the fight..."He broke my ribs". The corner, his dad, didn't stop it and he went on to win.

The interview: at 6 minutes he talks of Ward: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBT0zE3FqvM

A funny boxer/ex boxer story for you. A friend's 85 year old dad lives at a beach in Cornwall and his dog walked up to a 20 something to say a puppy style hello. The guy kicked the dog so the old fella told him off. The 20 something said "Yeah, so what ya gunna do about it." So one punch in the face and the young guy was on is back in the sand. Then he said to him "If you're still here by the time I get back you get the same again." LOL. The old guy used to be a semi pro fighter in London.

A white dude knocking out a bunch of tomato cans...yawn. I've watched a thousand boxing videos and the good ones are where two talented, tough fighters are doing battle. No doubt this guy was tough but did he ever fight anyone good? :confused:

Some might have considered Zab Judah good. After all, he was an undisputed welterweight champion. But he did lose to Mayweather on a championship unification bout, so what do they know? After all, Floyd Mayweather was just a palooka, right?

His most famous opponent was Arturo Gatti, fought him three times and two of those fights were named fight of the year by Ring magazine. Keep in mind this is light welterweight class.

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Those were full fledged wars...

I have loved watching boxing long before MMA, Ward was great, the Ward Gatti fights are legendary, so many good fights over the years, too bad the industry got so corrupted and not promoted like UFC.